Judges’ phone tap report ‘is laughable’

Critics, including as civil rights groups, say reports on surveillance do not contain enough information

High court judges tasked with supervising phone surveillance by the gardai and the army are providing one-page annual reports that omit any details about the level of phone tapping that takes place.

Civil rights groups say the reports are "laughable" and compare badly with Britain which employs a former judge as an interception of communications commissioner to monitor intercepts for mistakes.

There were 24 "interception errors or breaches" in Britain according to the 2007 commissioner's report, including four in Northern Ireland, out of more than 3,000 warrants. In contrast, the Irish public is given no details about the number of intercepts carried out or any mistakes made.

Judge Iarfhlaith O'Neill is responsible for monitoring such intercepts. In his first year in the job, O'Neill filed a report to the Oireachtas that was very similar to one issued by his predecessors. O'Neill said that he had kept the relevant telecommunication and